Photography: Frederic Neema

Who says green and sustainable design has to look like it? Designed to emulate the owner’s favorite country club, this fine estate home blends in with the natural surroundings of it’s hillside perch, and is so intoxicatingly beautiful, one hardly notices its numerous energy saving and green features. Durable, natural and handsome materials such as stained cedar trim, natural stone veneer, and integral color plaster are combined with strong horizontal roof lines that emphasize the expansive nature of the site and capture the “bigness” of the view. Large expanses of glass punctuated with a natural rhythm of exposed beams and stone columns that frame the spectacular views of the Santa Clara Valley and the Los Gatos Hills. A shady outdoor loggia and cozy outdoor fire pit create the perfect environment for relaxed Saturday afternoon barbecues and glitzy evening dinner parties alike. A glass “wall of wine” creates an elegant backdrop for the dining room table, the warm stained wood interior details make the home both comfortable and dramatic. The project’s energy saving features include: - a 5 kW roof mounted grid-tied PV solar array pays for most of the electrical needs, and sends power to the grid in summer 6 year payback! - all native and drought-tolerant landscaping reduce irrigation needs - passive solar design that reduces heat gain in summer and allows for passive heating in winter - passive flow through ventilation provides natural night cooling, taking advantage of cooling summer breezes - natural day-lighting decreases need for interior lighting - fly ash concrete for all foundations - dual glazed low e high performance windows and doors Design Team: Noel Cross+Architects - Architect Christopher Yates Landscape Architecture Joanie Wick – Interior Design Vita Pehar - Lighting Design Conrado Co. – General Contractor Marion Brenner – Photography

The clients of this DC rowhome opted for ceramic floor tile that resembles hardwood. Radiant heating underneath keeps the room warm from the floor up in the winter.

The small master bedroom in this 1950's era home lacked character as well as space so we added some molding detail to the focal wall behind the bed and kept furniture to a minimum, replacing the closet and dressers with built-in cabinetry along one wall. The black painted furniture provides a strong masculine foundation that is softened with a pretty chandelier, delicate hardware and deep coral velvet cushions that can be changed out with the seasons. Interior Design by Lori Steeves of Simply Home Decorating. Photos by Tracey Ayton Photography.

..... First impressions count! ..... Glass Doors and Entries that Make a Statement. Whether it's glass front entry doors, or interior glass doors the first focal point of an entry into a home, business or office are the doors, and frosted art glass doors by Sans Soucie add a unique element and a level of luxury while providing privacy AND light! From a little to a lot, the privacy you need is created for your glass front entry doors without sacrificing sunlight. Available any size, all glass doors are custom made to order and ship worldwide. Door glass will be tempered, exterior doors will be dual pane (or a single 1/2" thick pane for fiberglass doors) and come in various thicknesses and types depending on door location (interior or exterior) and the sandblast etched effect selected. Selling both the glass inserts for doors as well as doors with glass, Sans Soucie doors are available as an interior or front entry door in 8 woods and 2 fiberglass, as a slab door or prehung in the jamb - any size. From simple frosted glass effects to our more extravagant 3D sculpture carving, painted and stained glass .. and everything in between, Sans Soucie designs are sandblasted different ways which create not only different effects but different levels in price. The "same design, done different" - with no limit to design, there's something for every decor, regardless of style. Price will vary by design complexity and type of effect: Specialty Glass and Frosted Glass. Inside our fun, easy to use online Glass and Door Designer, you'll get instant pricing on everything as YOU customize your door and glass! When you're all finished designing, you can place your order online! We're here to answer any questions you have so please call (877) 331-339 to speak to a knowledgeable representative! Doors ship worldwide at reasonable prices from Palm Desert, California with delivery time ranges between 3-8 weeks depending on door material and glass effect selected. (Doug Fir or Fiberglass in Frosted Effects allow 3 weeks, Specialty Woods and Glass [2D, 3D, Leaded] will require approx. 8 weeks).

Fully integrated Signature Estate featuring Creston controls and Crestron panelized lighting, and Crestron motorized shades and draperies, whole-house audio and video, HVAC, voice and video communication atboth both the front door and gate. Modern, warm, and clean-line design, with total custom details and finishes. The front includes a serene and impressive atrium foyer with two-story floor to ceiling glass walls and multi-level fire/water fountains on either side of the grand bronze aluminum pivot entry door. Elegant extra-large 47'' imported white porcelain tile runs seamlessly to the rear exterior pool deck, and a dark stained oak wood is found on the stairway treads and second floor. The great room has an incredible Neolith onyx wall and see-through linear gas fireplace and is appointed perfectly for views of the zero edge pool and waterway. The center spine stainless steel staircase has a smoked glass railing and wood handrail.

With a major wall removed this space is transformed from a living room to a living floor where different activities connect. The far wall is clad in a sugar cane based paneling painted in high gloss that unifies the space and provides understated texture. Rugs designed by Genevieve Gorder for Capel keep things light and lively. Photo by Chris Amaral

The Tiffany by Mercedes Premier Homes! www.mercedespremier.com

Laurence Taylor, Taylor Architectural Photography

Master Bathroom - Keeping Glass block alive! by Shasta Smith Photography by Dave Adams

A Nana door corner, clerestory windows, and Velux skylights provide natural lighting for this modern Bay Area artist studio built by award-winning general contractor, Wm. H. Fry Construction Company.

Doug Edmunds

M.I.R. Phase 3 denotes the third phase of the transformation of a 1950’s daylight rambler on Mercer Island, Washington into a contemporary family dwelling in tune with the Northwest environment. Phase one modified the front half of the structure which included expanding the Entry and converting a Carport into a Garage and Shop. Phase two involved the renovation of the Basement level. Phase three involves the renovation and expansion of the Upper Level of the structure which was designed to take advantage of views to the "Green-Belt" to the rear of the property. Existing interior walls were removed in the Main Living Area spaces were enlarged slightly to allow for a more open floor plan for the Dining, Kitchen and Living Rooms. The Living Room now reorients itself to a new deck at the rear of the property. At the other end of the Residence the existing Master Bedroom was converted into the Master Bathroom and a Walk-in-closet. A new Master Bedroom wing projects from here out into a grouping of cedar trees and a stand of bamboo to the rear of the lot giving the impression of a tree-house. A new semi-detached multi-purpose space is located below the projection of the Master Bedroom and serves as a Recreation Room for the family's children. As the children mature the Room is than envisioned as an In-home Office with the distant possibility of having it evolve into a Mother-in-law Suite. Hydronic floor heat featuring a tankless water heater, rain-screen façade technology, “cool roof” with standing seam sheet metal panels, Energy Star appliances and generous amounts of natural light provided by insulated glass windows, transoms and skylights are some of the sustainable features incorporated into the design. “Green” materials such as recycled glass countertops, salvaging and refinishing the existing hardwood flooring, cementitous wall panels and "rusty metal" wall panels have been used throughout the Project. However, the most compelling element that exemplifies the project's sustainability is that it was not torn down and replaced wholesale as so many of the homes in the neighborhood have.

Holger Obenaus

Even at night, with LED and fiber optic lights shining brightly, the glass tile water wall feature remains the highlight of the small Paramus NJ back yard. Neon fiber optic rope lighting highlights the glass tile feature with some excitement.

Nestled in its own private and gated 10 acre hidden canyon this spectacular home offers serenity and tranquility with million dollar views of the valley beyond. Walls of glass bring the beautiful desert surroundings into every room of this 7500 SF luxurious retreat. Thompson photographic

David Kingsbury Photography, www.davidkingsburyphoto.com